The County of Hawai`i Department of Public Works (DPW), Traffic division is conducting an experiment on bike lanes and cyclist visibility in Hilo and Kona. Starting in Hilo at the University of Hawai`i, the DPW Traffic Division added green stripes, mimicking the existing white strips to bike lanes starting from the intersection at the entrance to the University of Hawai’i at Hilo and going in both directions on both sides of the road.

This experiment aims to increase cyclist visibility when bikes and vehicles merge and to create a safer environment for cyclists.

“We selected areas with good designated bike lanes with potentially greater number of people using bikes,” said Ron Thiel, Traffic Division chief.

In October, green stripes will be added to bike lanes between Palani Road and Kaiwi Street on Kuakini Highway in West Hawai’i.Green striped shared bikeped lanes in Hilo

Elementary school students will be able to walk in the footsteps of Ronald McDonald and learn how to safely cross streets thanks to collaboration between the Traffic Division of the Hawai‘i County Department of Public Works and McDonald’s® Restaurants of Hawai‘i.

Since 2009, the department of Public Work’s Traffic division has continued designating safety zones for pedestrians near schools. A safety zone is defined in section 24-3, chapter 24, in Hawai‘i County Code on Vehicles and Traffic “ as the area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians …protected, marked, or indicated by adequate signs plainly visible at all times.”

Kailua Village Business Improvement District has been working to enhance public spaces including walkability in and around Historic Kailua Village. With the uptick evident in general business growth, there is also a related increase in pedestrians and motorists.